CHILDREN'S LITERATURE,  Picbook Review

Fly, Pigeon, Fly: Sweet illustrated picture story about unusual friendship

May 27, 2014 /

pigeonfly

I got this book as a gift from fellow illustrator, Mazni, in conjunction with International Book Giving Day 2014.

Fly, Pigeon, Fly is about a boy, John, who found and nursed a pigeon that he called Percy. Although he did not imprison the bird in a cage (he lets Percy out from his window in the morning and Percy will come home later for food), his father thought that Percy should be building nest and raising a family.

John finally takes Percy to a beach and let him fly. Percy would come back twice a week, then once a week, then once a month and finally stop coming back. John misses Percy badly but is happy to think that Percy is out there somewhere enjoying its freedom.

I love the story and very much agree with the moral of letting birds out and free in the wild. I do not believe in imprisoning birds or animals.

The writers tell the story in a first-person (a boy) narrative mode. The boy has no name so I thought I named him John (one of the writers). The illustrator uses pen/marker and acrylic to interpret the story in a sweet and beautiful way.

Writer: John Henderson & Julia Donaldson
Illustrator: Thomas Docherty
Publisher: Little Tiger Press

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